ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It’s a harsh reality, but several people in the Tampa Bay community are spending their night on the street.

Nearly 2,000 people are experiencing homelessness in Pinellas County in a single night, according to the Pinellas County Point in Time Count. 

What You Need To Know

At St. Raphael Catholic Church, about 20 teens slept outside with minimal shelter to learn what it’s like to be houseless

The kids could only bring three items. Some brought boxes, pillows, and tarps

Guest speakers, like Pinellas Hope representatives, talked to teens about the issue

They also made donations to shelters

On Saturday night, dozens of teens slept outside without shelter to get a glimpse into the life of a person experiencing homelessness.

Out in a field behind the St. Raphael Catholic Church, about 20 teens slept outside with almost nothing.

“I slept in a cardboard box,” said Hudson Maphet, a teen participating in the program.

They were only allowed to bring three items. Maphet brought a pillow a blanket and deodorant. It’s all part of the homeless retreat where teens from five churches are learning what it’s like to be houseless.

“I’m kind of used to the cold, so it didn’t hit me too hard until I decided to walk around in socks in the cold, wet grass. It was not it,” Maphet said.

Participants heard from experts about the issue. The director of the temporary emergency shelter, Joe Pondolfino of Pinellas Hope, spoke to the group Saturday night. He said he was hoping to clear up any misconceptions the teens had.

“It’s not about just looking at somebody on the street corner and saying, ‘Oh, what did they do wrong?’ It’s really what happened to them. So it’s really important to look at each person individually and it’s important for the next generation to help us tackle this problem,” said Pondolfino.

And the problem is not going away. Pondolfino said Pinellas Hope is seeing about 20 new people a week.

“It tells me that the problem still exists. It’s not gotten much better at this point, even though we do have some great successes. It’s something that we can’t take our eye off the ball,” he said.

After hearing from Pondolfino and sleeping in the wet grass, Maphet said even though they are teenagers, there are little things they can do to make a difference.

“Just a conversation, just a ‘How are you?’ A handshake — something, something of acknowledgment, because most of those people out there, they feel like they’re invisible and they’re very much so seen,” Maphet said.

It was more than an experience, it was also an outreach event.

Teens packed up lunches along with hygiene products that will be distributed to shelters like Pinellas Hope.